


Christmas Truce

by DontAskWhy



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alien Invasion, Song: Silent Night, World War I Likeness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28214178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontAskWhy/pseuds/DontAskWhy
Summary: It was the night before Christmas, and all through the lands, the humans were firing on the Kryptonian, who wanted their world for their own.But there in the trenches on the cold winter's eve, a spirit of merry was slowly filly the soldiers with ease...
Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne
Kudos: 11





	Christmas Truce

**Author's Note:**

> I'm posting this now because I've got a lot to do on Christmas and I'm sure most of you do too. I hope you enjoy this!

Kal sighs as he sits in the Earthly mud and flooding water trench, he was called here to make a propaganda film about how the Kryptonian army is defeating the Earthlings when he and his crew got pinned down. And from what he's heard, they're not gonna leave for at least forty eight hours. He groans, 'My mother will kill me if I die here.' He thought grimly as the strange frozen drops of water briskly fell in his hair. The soldiers surrounding him were both ready for disaster, but also tired and worn out from the fighting. They looked ready to go home too. So, here Kal of the house of El sat, in the dirt and snow, waiting for news of safe passage from the front lines.

That's when he heard it… the other aliens also perked up and were strung up on their last nerves for whatever else the tricky humans came up with. But when Kal, a man who's done his best to learn the customs of Earth's people, gave his ear completely to the people on the other side of No Man's Land, he told the army, "Wait! I don't think it's another spell…" they grew confused, but then also gave a listen.

_Silent night, holy night_  
_All is calm, all is bright_

"Those humans are singing? At a time like this??" The high ranking official questioned.

_Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child_  
_Holy Infant so tender and mild_

Kal frowns furrowed as he tried to remember something he learned from an Earthling defector, "I think… I think it's Christmas."

_Sleep in heavenly peace_

"What?"

_Sleep in heavenly peace_

"Christmas. I don't know all the details but it's a Earth holiday that's celebrated by most on this planet. It goes by a few other names too and- look! Those are Christmas trees!" Kal pointed out as he was peeking over the dead grass. All the other Kryptonians look as well, and see decorative spruce trees with a few candles lit on it line the human drenches.

_Silent night, holy night_  
_Shepherds quake at the sight_

"I don't know what this holiday is… but it sure does sound pretty." An older man comments as he gazes up at the darkened cloudy sky.

_Glories stream from heaven afar_  
_Heavenly hosts sing 'Alleluia_

Kal stares at him with a smile, then notices the camera man filming away as the floating boom mic did it's best to pick up the group of humans singing.

_Christ the Savior is born_

"It sounds a little like our Rao's song; it sounds very nice. I wish I knew the lyrics to whatever they're singing."

_Christ the Savior is born_

"I think… I know the rest." Kal clears his throat as he tries to sing along.

_Silent night, holy night_

There's suddenly hesitation on the human's side of the destroyed grounds when they hear a voice from the opposite side.

_Son of God, love's pure light_

Then they grow louder, as does Kal.

_Radiant beams from Thy holy face_  
_With the dawn of redeeming grace_  
_Jesus Lord, at Thy birth_

Knowing enough of the melody to know that that lyric will repeat, the rest of the men in their long fox holes sing the last note together.

_Jesus Lord, at Thy birth_

~~~~~

"Merry Christmas!"

Kal heard when he was trying to sleep.

"Merry Christmas, aliens!"

He heard again from a different voice. "Are they talking to us?" Someone next to Kal, asked.

"I think so."

"Happy Christmas!" An accent voice called out, Kal could swear they were a few hushed laughs as well.

Then, the Coronal surprised his men, "Merry Christmas!" He shouted back.

There was a short pause before another human's voice carried out, "Merry Christmas!" This one sounded more sincere than the others. And then, the next thirty minutes was just them wishing each other seasons greetings.

~~~~~

When the white sky grew bright again, they're where they slept the night before. It was finally a beautiful day, no rain to flood their cold and damp trenches, and just cold enough to make the mud freeze and make it solid enough to walk pleasantly about. But just as they were grumbling awake, someone shouts out, "Something's happening on the other side!" Everyone jolts awake and starts getting their plasma photons ready for battle. Camera guy is up with the robot mic, ready to shoot the blood bath as Kal El looks over his barrier.

He becomes confused at the way of attack though, a lone human is walking up to the alien lines, armed only with a small Christmas tree. This pauses the gun ready men. Then the humans still in their holes are popping their heads up and down. The humans do this for a while, and the Kryptonians are too confused to shoot. So then, the soldiers gaze out, and then stand up and start waving to the humans. This was suicide, but there were no shots going off...

The young civilian bites his lip as he floats up and walks on the dirt to the humans, followed by distance, the rest of the outer space army, leaving their blasters behind. Both sides take step after step, inch after inch, fearful but also hopeful as they close the distance between one another. Kal comes up to the tree holder and takes the appendage the human has offered, "My name's Kal El."

The human nods, "Bruce Wayne." After both sides introduced themselves, they saw their men lying dead on the ground, and since there was at least a moment of peace, went to work burying them. More humans came out and did the same for their fallen brothers. Kal was having a hard time getting a good grip on a bloodied corpse when a raven haired man came up to him and grabbed the legs. When Kal looked up, he was flabbergasted that the man helping him was human. The human smiled sadly as they carried the too young soldier to the readied graves. 

Rao priests said their prayers for the dead, just as the Catholic priests did the same. The human from before comes up to Kal, "They're in a much better place now."

"And what of us?"

He chuckles, "We're here to clean up their mess, no doubt after they've showered themselves with champagne and got drunk on wine up above." This made a small smirk sneak on the sun fueled face. Before everyone knew it, they were sitting around talking, mingling, and sharing cigars with one another. Kal and Bruce overheard two senior soldiers compare trench-foot with one another. The alien one had a blackening foot while the human one was missing three toes. Bruce shook his head, "I've been lucky so far, what about you?"

"I just got here a couple of days ago… and already I feel a hundred years older."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"But man! The rain! It just won't let up!"

"Tell me about it, and the flooding!"

"I can never find a decent place to sleep without fear of drowning."

"Same here! Haha! Oh, hang on!" Wayne gets up and runs to the trenches, after a few moments comes back with a small opened package, "Here, my guardian sent this to me, as this is my first Christmas away from home." Inside was a frosted, chocolate plum pudding.

"Looks delicious!" He tries some and moans at the richness. "Amazing!" Then suddenly felt bad, as he didn't have anything to give his new- "Wait right here!" He suddenly takes off for his little dried out spot and digs in his bag for the items. When he finds them, he smiles in victory as he flies back over, "Here, I'll be leaving soon, so I won't have any need for these." And presents his self-warming gloves his mother sent to him.

"Thank you!" Bruce beams in an awkward manner, which makes Kal wonder how little the other man smiled. Kal talks to this man for a long time, even enjoying the friendly ball game between the Kryptonians and the Earthlings playing over the wide space in No Man's Land. Bruce lit up two cigars in his mouth, then handed one to to Kal, the blue and red wearing man takes a whiff, then began choking on the fumes. Wayne laughs at the inexperienced lungs. Then, the human glares at Zod as the Kryptonian gets a little too close to the enemy trench to peek at the artillery. Wayne jumps up and jogs to the alien and cheerfully pats him on the back as he guides him back to the game. When he successfully drove the army man away, he walks back to Kal. "So, what do you do?"

"Oh! I'm still attending college, before I was gonna be a scientist like my father, then a ascetic like my mother, right now I'm trying out for reporting." He laughs nervously.

"Ah, I see." Wayne shakes his head with amusement as he watches a Kryptonian shave a human's mangy bread.

"What about you?"

"Oh, I was being groomed to take over my father's business when this all started. We were sort of prepared you know. We've made a _lot_ of movies with invading aliens trying to take over the world."

"No kidding? We've made movies of the same thing."

"We made you bugs!"

"We made you dragons!" They bellow in enjoyment and continue their talks. They talk about home, they talk about their lives, they even argue over who were the good guys in this scenario. Then, they heard it. They all heard it. Artillery in the distance. The war for Earth… they all were getting up and going their separate ways. Taking long glances at one other. Both sides returned to their respective trenches, and wondered what tomorrow would bring, and if they could fire upon the men they got to know…

~~~~~~

"We're shooting, krepts!" The humans shouted, as they began firing their weapons at nothing.

A few hours later, "We're firing, earthlings!" And repeat the process. Kal was smiling brightly at this exchange as he was packing up.

"Maybe, when I leave, things will be okay." He thought out loud just as his replacement came to get him.

~~~~~~

A few days after he left, transfers happened, the Kryptonians fired on one unarmed man. The truce was over.

~~~~~~

Three months after he's returned home, Kal watches the live war on their floating screen continue on. He spots in the far distance, Bruce trying to back away while dragging a wounded man to safety. An explosion goes off right on top of them. The next shot_ there are two men lying on the ground, bloodied to Hell, when the camera pans away to more human soldiers dying. While his parents and cousin cheer for their side winning, Kara shakes her demon-drawn-human sheet of paper and lasers it with passion. Kal has to flee to his room, and as silently as possible, cries for the friend he had just lost…

~~~~~

Five years later, the leaders of Krypton and the leaders of Earth, shake hands in fellowship for the whole of the two races. The war was finally over.

~~~~~

Over one year has now past since that day, and Kal El stands at one of the many memorial sites of the Earthling's cemeteries. It's snowing heavily, but he doesn't stop his mission. He checks each and every one of the names on the white stone crosses, trying to find one that matches the name he was given. But as he reaches the last stone that did not hold the one he was searching for, he sighs and begins flying off when he stopped briefly for the church bells ringing gloriously and the singing of fifty or so humans and Kryptonians singing Silent Night.

He listens to the words with an ache in his heart when, "Are you going to sing along or what?"

Suddenly, the son of El looks down with shuddering breath, down below is Bruce Wayne with a young angry looking man at his hip. "Bruce?"

The man frowns but then narrows his eyes at the familiar features of the other, "Kal El?"

"Do you know this alien, father?" The boy asks, as he gets in front of his parent protectively.

The mortal smiles and scruffs up his boy's hair, "Yes, this is the reporter I was talking about." The boy scoffs, but nothing more.

The Kryptonian hovers down with tears welling up in his eyes but a smile breaking his face, "Hey."

"Hi." Bruce smiles back, "We're on our way to church, and with my robotic leg and all, could really use some help pulling this sleigh of presents to the kids there."

"I'm perfectly capable of hauling it myself, father!" The young one puffed out.

"Well," Kal whipes his eyes, "I know you can. But I would really love to feel useful. Do you think you can help me with that?"

The child glares for a moment, "Tch, fine." Then marches off.

Bruce, in his slick black suit, shakes his head with a grin then turns to Kal, "I guess we have some catching up to do." And starts limping to the white building yonder.

The man in the red flannel shirt and blue jean jacket chuckles as he drags behind, "We certainly do."

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by real events that I can never hold a candle to, I just want to pay homage to something that the most special time of the year has been able to bring. This holiday was able to stop a war dead in it's tracks, even if it was only for one day.
> 
> Never forget the unique humanity that Christmas brought to WWI in 1914.
> 
> Merry Christmas, everyone!


End file.
